unit 5 passion week--lesson 4 nt5.6 the crucifixion of jesus · after supper jesus washed the...

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NT5.6 Crucifixion of Jesus © Beverly Wilson 2018

Unit 5 Passion Week--Lesson 4

NT5.6 The Crucifixion of Jesus

Scripture: Matt 27:11-66; Mark 15: 15-47; Luke 23: 1-56; John 18: 28-40; 19:16-42

Lesson Goal: We will learn how Jesus was tried and crucified on a cross for the punishment of our sins. He

loved us so much that He did this so that we could go to heaven. God gives everyone an invitation to accept His Son Jesus as Savior. As a Christian we should thank Him every day for our salvation.

Introduction: This is the sixth lesson in Unit 5: The Passion Week--the last week of Jesus' life here on earth.

This lesson is about what happened when Jesus was crucified. After eating the Lord's Supper Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He asked His disciples to pray with Him. Soon after Jesus was betrayed and arrested. This lesson is about how Jesus was tried and crucified on a cross for the punishment of our sins. He loved us so much that He did this so that we could go to heaven.

Attention Getter: When was the last time you were punished for doing something wrong? Perhaps you were punished because you failed to clean your room. Maybe you were punished because you got into a fight or because you were talking when you were supposed to be listening at school? Often we are punished because we do wrong things. But have you ever been punished for something you did not do? The Bible tells us of One who was severely punished although He had done nothing wrong. In this lesson we are going to learn about Jesus' trial and crucifixion. Jesus suffered a terrible, cruel, horrible death for our sakes. Jesus did this for us because He loved us so much.

Opening Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, Help us to praise you for sending Your Son Jesus to come down from heaven to die for our sins. Thank you for allowing Him to suffer on the cross for all the evil in the world even though He had never done anything wrong. Thank you that you will forgive everyone who believes in what Jesus did on the cross. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen."

Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is

eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Because Jesus was perfect He suffered for our sin so that we would not have to. You can trust in Jesus to save you from sin's punishment. Then He will give you the gift of heaven. Let's say our verse again together. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Lesson Video: http://youtu.be/b1QCZgpVt4w

We have been studying about the last week of Jesus' life. One week before His death, Jesus came riding into town on a donkey. He and his disciples had come to town to celebrate the Passover. As He rode in, many people thought he was riding in like a king, so they waved palm branches at Him and laid down their clothes for His donkey to walk over. They shouted, "Hosanna in the highest!" which means, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"

Later that week Jesus and His disciples had the Passover meal together. During dinner the devil spoke to Judas' heart and told him that this was the night to carry out his plan to betray Jesus. But before Judas did that evil deed, Jesus asked His disciples to eat broken bread which was like His body which was going to die on the cross, He then asked the disciples to drink wine or grape juice in remembrance of his blood which was going to be shed on the cross. After supper Jesus washed the Disciples' feet to teach them that God wants us to serve others with a humble heart.

Jesus and the disciples then sang a hymn and went out to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. There Jesus asked his disciples to pray with Him. Jesus knew that his death was coming so He prayed, "Lord, let this cup pass from Me, but not my will but Yours be done."

http://youtu.be/b1QCZgpVt4w

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Meanwhile the disciples had forgotten Jesus' request and they were fast asleep! Then Judas, accompanied by a crowd of Roman soldiers carrying swords and clubs, found Jesus with His disciples and betrayed Him with a kiss. Jesus willingly submitted to the soldiers because He knew it was time that God wanted Him to die on the cross. But Peter impetuously cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. Then Jesus healed the servant's ear. Next Jesus commanded Peter to put away his sword.

Jesus was arrested in the middle of the night. The Jewish leaders were in a hurry to finish Jesus' trial and the execution before the sun was up. That was when the Sabbath and the Passover began. So the soldiers bound Jesus and brought Jesus to Caiaphas' house where they questioned him. The religious leaders knew that they had no reasons to charge Jesus with a crime so they used false witnesses. These hired men lied about Jesus. This was a mock trial because it unfairly accused Jesus of wrongs he did not do. Then they blindfolded, beat, and spit on Jesus. They made fun of Him and struck Him in the face. Jesus let these men lie and hit Him because He loved you and me so much. Jesus knew that his suffering was part of God's plan for our sin to be taken away so we could go to be in heaven with Him.

Because the Jewish leaders did not have the authority to execute someone they then bound Jesus and took Him to Pilate the Roman Governor. "Are you the King of the Jews?" Pilate demanded.

"You have said so," Jesus replied. The chief priest and elders made accusations that Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews and was leading a rebellion. Jesus remained quiet and this amazed Pilate.

"Don't you hear the accusations they are bringing against you?" Pilate asked Jesus. Then he announced to the chief priest and crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."

But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by His teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." Pilate could not find anything wrong with Jesus and he did not want to handle this case. Now Pilate knew that Jesus had lived and worked in Galilee so he decided to try to pass Jesus off on Herod, the governor of that region. Since Herod was in Jerusalem for the feast Pilate sent Jesus to be questioned by him.

Herod was pleased to meet Jesus as he had heard a lot about Him and demanded that Jesus perform a miracle. Jesus did not respond. the chief priests and elders stood there making accusations against Jesus. Jesus kept quiet.

Then Herod mockingly dressed Jesus in a royal robe and put a crown of thorns on His head. Herod's soldiers ridiculed and hit Jesus.

Herod than sent Jesus back to Pilate. That day Pilate and Herod became friends; previously they had been enemies.

Pilate summoned Jesus and asked, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest." "So you are a King then?" said Pilate. "The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth," Jesus answered.

Pilate addressed the chief priest and ruler of the people. "I do not find this man guilty of the charges you bring against Him. Herod has done the same and found no basis for you accusations. I am going to punish Him and then release Him."

But the chief priests and elders incited the crowd to shout, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

While this was going on Pilate's wife sent him a message. "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal in a dream because of Him." It was the custom for a prisoner to be released at the Passover feast. So Pilate asked the crowd. "Who do you want released, Barabbas or Jesus?" Barabbas had been imprisoned for leading a rebellion and for murder. "Barabbas," they shouted back.

"What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Pilate asked.

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"Crucify Him!" came the reply.

Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent but he could see the crowd was getting out of control. He washed his hands in front of them and declared, "I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your responsibility." The crowd replied, "His blood be on us and our children."

Pilate released Barabbas and handed over Jesus to be flogged and crucified. He had the soldiers put a purple robe on His shoulders and a crown of thorns on His head. The robe and thorns was a way of mocking Jesus by saying that He was the King of kings. Jesus was beaten with a whip that had pieces of metal and bone tied in it. The whipping was enough to kill Jesus.

Roman soldiers made Jesus carry His own cross. Two criminals sentenced to death by crucifixion were forced to do the same. They were led out of the city to be crucified. A large crowd followed, including women who mourned and wailed for Jesus. Jesus was weak from His beatings and fell. The soldiers grabbed a man in the crown, Simon from Cyrene in North Africa, and forced him to carry the cross.

They led Jesus out of the city to a place called Golgotha (meaning the place of a skull). Jesus and the two criminals were nailed to their crosses, Jesus was in the middle with a criminal on either side. It was 9 o'clock in the morning. The soldiers divided Jesus' clothes among them. The inner garment, woven in one piece without seams was too valuable to divide so they cast lots for it. It fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 22:18 "They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment."

Those who passed by hurled insults at Jesus, shaking their heads and saying, "You said you would destroy the temple and rebuilt it in three days. Come down from the cross and save yourself."

The chief priest and elders mocked, "He saved other but He cannot save Himself." The soldiers also joined in the mocking. As Jesus looked down from the cross at the soldiers who had crucified Him, He asked God to forgive them. Even through the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, Jesus still loved them!

One of the criminals joined in with those insulting Jesus. "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" but the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God? we are getting our just punishment but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he turned and said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth. Today you will be with me in paradise."

At noon darkness came over the land until three in the afternoon. At around three in the afternoon, Jesus called out in a loud voice, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" Then Jesus exclaimed, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Jesus then cried out, "It is finished." And He breathed His last breath. Jesus had died on the cross taking the punishment for all sin forever. He did that because He had promised to pay the penalty for all our sins.

The Roman centurion, in charge of the crucifixion, who had been watching Jesus die, suddenly praised God and said, "Surely this was the Son of God!" As evening approached and the next day was the Sabbath, Pilate gave permission for the legs of those being crucified to be broken so they would quickly die.

The legs of the two criminals either side of Jesus were broken. However, as Jesus was already dead, a soldier thrust a spear into His side and blood drained out. It fulfilled the prophecies that, "Not one of His bones will be broken." (Psalm 34:10) and "they will look at the one they have pierced." Zechariah 12:10.

Surrounding the cross were several women along with Mary the mother of Jesus. John was also with them. They were all weeping and crying. This was the saddest day on earth.

A good and upright man, named Joseph from Aramethea, who was a member of the Jewish council, went to Pilate and asked permission to bury Jesus. Pilate agreed. Joseph took Jesus' body down from the cross. He wrapped it in linen cloth and took it to an empty tomb cut in the rock. A large stone was rolled over the entrance.

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The Pharisees remembered that Jesus had said, "After three days I will rise again." So they asked Pilate to post a guard on the tomb. The tomb was sealed and a guard was set on it.

How sad that the people who condemned Jesus to die on the cross did not know who He was! Jesus was God the Son. He had not done anything wrong! He had no sin! His thoughts, words and actions always pleased God the Father.

Jesus was unlike you and me. We are born wanting our own sinful way. Just think of times that you have not pleased God. Perhaps you have wished that something bad would happen to someone who hurt you. Maybe you lied to your teacher at school. Perhaps you have selfishly refused to share something with your brother or sister. The Bible says that our sin deserves punishment--which is separation from God forever.

Our memory verse is Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Because Jesus was perfect He suffered for our sin so that we would not have to. You can trust in Jesus to save you from sin's punishment. Then He will give you the gift of heaven. Let's say our verse again together. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jesus promised to forgive you your sin and give you eternal life if you will believe in Him. To believe in Jesus means to admit that you are a sinner and to trust in Jesus to save you from sin's punishment. Have you ever told God that you want forgiveness of your sins and eternal life? Jesus loves you and He wants to take you to heaven with him. If you have not ever ask Jesus to forgive you, you can do so right now.

Remember Jesus died for our sins so we can go to heaven!

Review Questions/ Game: “Red Crepe Paper Roll” Preparation: You will need a roll of red crepe paper streamers. Before class unroll the crepe paper and write a number from 1 to 5 in random order and at different lengths on the roll. Re-roll the crepe paper so the numbers are not visible. Say: “In this lesson we learned that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. He shed his blood to pay the punishment that we deserve. We are going to use this red crepe paper roll to represent Jesus’ blood for us.” Procedure: Have students take turns answering the following review questions. If the student gets the question correct, he or she may unroll the crepe paper and see what number of points he/ she will receive for that answer. Student with the most points wins.

1. Where was Jesus when the soldiers came and arrested him? (Jesus and the disciples were in the Garden

of Gethsemane.) 2. Who betrayed Jesus with a kiss? (Judas kissed Jesus as a way to betray Him.) 3. When Jesus was arrested, did He try to get away? (No, he willingly allowed the soldiers to arrest him.) 4. When Jesus was arrested, who ran away? (All the disciples ran away.) 5. Who denied he knew Jesus three times? (Peter denied Jesus three times.) 6. What did they do to Jesus to make fun of him? (They blindfolded, beat, spit on Him, put a purple robe on

Him.) 7. Why would Jesus allow men to accuse Him of lying and treat Him so cruelly? (Because He loves us so

much!) 8. What was the name of the governor that found no fault in Jesus? (Pilate could find no fault in Jesus.) 9. Did Jesus defend Himself before Pilate? (No, He did not say a word. He was like a lamb before the

slaughter.) 10. What did the crowd do when Pilate wanted to release Jesus? (They demanded Jesus be put to death.) 11. What prisoner was released instead of Jesus? (Barabas was released. He was a murderer and thief.) 12. Why did Pilate sentence Jesus to die if he thought that He was innocent? (He was more concerned about

his own reputation.) 13. What did the soldiers put on Jesus’ head? (Crown of thorns was placed on his head.) 14. What did they whip Jesus with? (A strap of leather embedded with pieces of metal and bone.)

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15. Who helped carry Jesus’ cross? (Simeon of Cyrene carried the cross of Jesus.) 16. Where was Jesus crucified? (The soldiers led Jesus out of the city to a place called Golgotha (meaning

the place of a skull). 17. Who was crucified with Jesus? (Two robbers were crucified on either side of Jesus.) 18. What did Jesus cry out from the cross right before He died? (“It is finished!”) 19. Who went to Pilate and requested the body of Jesus? (A good and upright man, named Joseph from

Aramethea, who was a member of the Jewish council, went to Pilate and asked permission to bury Jesus.)

20. Why did Pilate post a guard at the tomb of Jesus? (He had heard that Jesus had said that in three days He would rise again.)

21. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? (He came to make the payment for all our sin. The payment of sin is death. He died in our place to pay the price for our sin.)

22. What does it mean to “believe in Jesus”? (That you trust in what Jesus did for you on the cross and you believe that Jesus is the Son of God.)

23. Have you ever been punished for something you did not do?

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Plastic Egg Toss” Our memory verse is Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Because Jesus was perfect He suffered for our sin so that we would not have to. You can trust in Jesus to save you from sin's punishment. Then He will give you the gift of heaven. Let's say our verse again together. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Have children locate the verse in the Bible. Read the verse aloud with children several times. Preparation: Print each word or phrase of Romans 6:23 on separate slips of paper, making at least one slip of paper for every two children in you class. Put each slip of paper into a separated plastic egg. Procedure: Divide the class into pairs. Have each pair of students stand facing each other in an open area of the classroom. Give a plastic egg to each pair. Pairs toss the egg back and forth to each other taking one step backwards after each toss. When one child misses catching the egg, then they must open their egg and read his or her word or phrase aloud. Put students in order of the words of the verse and read aloud again. You can repeat activity until the entire verse is completed. Repeat verse again together in unison.

Group Learning Activity: “Story Bag Game” (K-5) Preparation: Place the following objects in a paper bag: bread, coin, rope, purple cloth, thorns, cross, nails, sponge, spear (wooden skewer or toothpick), white cloth, and a stone. Procedure: As you take out each object, explain the story, or ask the children to tell you what the object means. Use the following facts to review the significance of the object in the account of the death of Christ.

(1) bread—Last Supper Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper as the new covenant. He said that the bread was like His body which was broke on the cross. He was the Perfect Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.

(2) Coin--Judas betrayed Jesus for money; Judas received thirty pieces of silver in exchange for telling the chief priest and Pharisees where Jesus was. He betrayed Jesus with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas did not repent from his sin of betrayal but ended up hanging himself.

(3) rope--Jesus' hands were tied. Jesus willingly allowed the Roman soldiers to beat and scourge him. Pilate gave the orders that Jesus should be beaten before hung on the cross.

(4) purple cloth--Jesus was mocked in a purple robe. Pilate told the soldiers to place a purple robe on Jesus to say the he was the “King of the Jews.” The purple color was to represent being a king. Jesus really is the King of Kings and someday will return to sit on the throne of David and reign forever.

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(5) thorns--Jesus wore a crown of thorns. The crown of thorns was given to Jesus in mockery. The crown was to suggest that he was a king without a real throne. The thorns were part of the brutal suffering that Jesus endured.

(6) cross--Jesus died on a cross. The cross was the Roman way of death. It was a cruel punishment and was a slow painful way to die. Jesus was perfect and without sin. He was the innocent that was slain for the guilty

(7) nails--nails pierced his hands and his feet. Jesus was nailed to the cross. The nails were part of the cruel way that he was to die. The scars from the nails that pierced his hands and feet were present on Jesus’ resurrected body and was a way the disciples recognized Him later.

(8) sponge--they gave him vinegar on a sponge—The soldiers gave this to Jesus because He was near death and was trying to speak. The vinegar would somewhat clear his throat so He could say “It is finished.” This meant that the payment for our salvation had been made.

(9) spear (wooden skewer/toothpick)--they pierced his side--The soldiers took a spear and pierced the side of Jesus to determine if he had died. Otherwise they would have broken His legs to hasten death. The sword piercing his side was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy about His death.

(10) white cloth--His burial—The way a body was prepared for burial was that it was washed and then wrapped in long white cloths. Jesus was dead not in a state of unconsciousness as some skeptics have said. His body was wrapped in burial clothes.

(11) stone---the stone that sealed Jesus' tomb—The cave in which Jesus was buried was sealed with a stone. The Roman seal was placed upon it to ensure the fact that no one could come in and steal the body. This showed that the resurrection of Jesus was real. The stone was very large and required a number of very strong men to roll it in front of the entrance to the burial place.

Group Learning Activity: “Paper Plate Faces” (Grades K-3) Preparation: Draw facial expressions on paper plates as shown in sketch. You will make one for each of these expressions: happy, sad, angry, scared, and excited. Leave other plates blank. Procedure: Place the paper plates on table or floor. Volunteers take turns picking up the plates to show whether or not plates have faces on them and then placing them back face down on the floor. When a plate with a face is picked up ask one of the following questions: What feeling doe this face show? Who might have felt this way in the story? Why? When? Where? What happened in the story that would make you feel this way? Why?

Sad face: Mary the mother of Jesus and the women who mourned and followed Jesus to cross

Angry face: crowd and chief priests who yelled, “Crucify Him!”

Scared face: Peter and the disciples who ran away because they were afraid of being arrested; Pilate was scared of the angry crowd so he sentenced Jesus to death; Pilate was scared the disciples would steal Jesus’ body so he posted a guard.

Excited face: Peter who got excited and cut off the servant’s ear

Happy face: We are because when Jesus died on the cross He made it possible for us to become members of God’s family and live with Him now and forever.

Say: How did Jesus make it possible for us to receive God’s gift of eternal life? (He died on the cross to take the punishment for the wrong things we do and then He came back to life again.) What does “have eternal life” mean? (We can live now and forever with God as part of His family. Though we can’s see God, we know that He is always with us and will help us.) If you’d like to know more about accepting God’s gift of eternal life, I’d like to tell you more. (Talk with interested children about salvation.) Review the memory verse: Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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Group Learning Activity: Linen Burial Cloths (Grades 2-5) Preparation: Cut out squares of linen with pinking shears. Apply a drop of perfume to each square of linen cloth. Procedure: Pin one perfumed square of linen to each student or staple them to colored index cards. Talk with your students about Jesus’ burial. Review with them how Joseph and Nicodemus came and prepared Jesus’ body for burial. They put perfumed oil on His body and wrapped Him in linen.

Have students locate in scripture and read Luke 23:50-56. “Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. It was Preparation Day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.”

Say: “Joseph of Arimathea was a wealthy and honored member of the Jewish Council. He was also a secret disciple of Jesus (John 19:38). The disciples who had publicly followed Jesus had fled but Joseph boldly took a stand that could cost him his life dearly. He cared enough about Jesus to ask for his body so he could give it a proper burial.

“The tomb was likely a man made cave cut out of one of the many limestone hills in the area around Jerusalem. Such a tomb was large enough to walk into. After burial a large stone would have been rolled across the entrance. The cave in which Jesus was buried was sealed with a stone. The Roman seal was placed upon it to ensure the fact that no one could come in and steal the body. This showed that the resurrection of Jesus was real. The stone was very large and required a number of very strong men to roll it in front of the entrance to the burial place.

“The way a body was prepared for burial was that it was washed and then wrapped in long white cloths. Jesus was dead not in a state of unconsciousness as some skeptics have said. His body was wrapped in burial clothes. Jesus had to die in order to pay for our sins.

Group Learning Activity: “Perfection Game” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need a golf ball and a golf club for every two or three children in your class. You will also need large plastic Easter eggs. Procedure: Take apart the large plastic Easter eggs and line the halves along the classroom wall with about two inches between each one. Make sure the open ends are pointed away from the wall. Put the golf balls on the starting line (tee) and allow the children to take turns trying to gently tap the golf balls into the open ended egg cups. (Be sure to warn children to take care that they hit only the ball and not each other with the golf club!) Allow children to attempt to get the ball into the cups. After everyone has had several opportunities to get the ball in the hole, gather the children together in a circle. Say: “Did any of you get the ball inside the egg every time you tried? Why or why not? (No, but I only missed once. No, this game was hard: I was surprised that I did it.) Were you happy with how you did in this game? Why or why not? (Yes, I did as well as everyone else; no I wanted to play the game perfectly.) Do you think God was happy how well you played this game? Why or Why not? (Yes, God knows that I tried hard; no, I wanted to play the game perfectly. I don’t know.) “We know that Jesus never did anything wrong because Jesus is God. It’s not possible for us to be perfect. He doesn’t expect us to be able to hit the ball inside the egg. We could miss it every time, and God would still love us and be pleased with us. God doesn’t expect us to be the best runner, the best speller, or the best dancer. We don’t have to worry if we are not the best at this game because God still loved us.

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The Bible says that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” When we accept Jesus as our Savior his righteousness or perfection is given to us even though we don’t deserve it. Instead of looking at our mistakes or sins God looks at Christ’s perfect life and applies that to us. That is how we can go to heaven and live with Him. When we believe in Jesus He gives to us the gift of salvation.

Group Learning Activity: “Terni Lapilli” Roman Tic-Tac-Toe (Grades 2-5) Purpose: To learn about the ancient Roman board game called “Terni Lapilli.” The goal of the game is to get five of your pieces in a row. Preparation: You will need pairs of dice and a white board to play a tic, tac, toe game called terni lapilli. Make a sample terni lapilli board (pictured at right). Say: “The Romans played games with dice. Even at the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman soldiers played a dice game to determine who would receive his robe. Today we are going to play a game similar to the Roman game called “Terni Lapilli.” It is Tic,Tac,Toe.” Procedure: Divide your class into groups of two. Each set of students will need a set of dice and a sheet or whiteboard to draw a ”terni lapilli” board. Make the board eight spaces across and eight spaces down. Students are to take turns rolling their dice. The student who gets the highest number on his or her roll of dice gets to put an X or O in the terni lapnilli board. Winner is the one player who gets a row of 5 X’s or O’s going down, across, or diagonal. Have students look up Mark 15:21-24 and Psalm 22:18 and read passages aloud. Say: “Casting lots or throwing dice was a way of making a decision by chance. It is like drawing straws. The soldiers cast lots to decide who would receive Jesus’ clothing. Roman soldiers had the right to take for themselves the clothing of those crucified. This act fulfilled the prophecy of Psalm 22:18.”

Group Learning Activity: “Start and Stop” Game (Grades K-4) Preparation: You will need a Frisbee or circular flying disk. Procedure: Play this game in a long hallway, in a fellowship hall, or outside, if possible. Have the children line up on one side of the room. Choose one child to be the leader and have him or her stand on the opposite side of the room, facing away from the other children and holding the Frisbee over his or her head. While the Frisbee is raised in the air, the other children will walk quickly toward the leader, putting one foot directly in front of the other as if walking on a tightrope. Then the leader will lower the Frisbee and quickly turn around. When the Frisbee is lowered everyone must immediately stop moving. Anyone the leader sees moving has to return to the starting line. Then the leader will turn away from the other children and raise the disk again. The first child to cross the room and tag the leader become the new leader for a second round. Play about five minutes and then gather the children. Say:” What did you do when the leader lowered the disk and turned around? (I tried to stop.) Was it easy to stop quickly? Why or Why not? (Yes because I watched closely. No because I kept losing my balance and was moving.) “The Bible talks about stopping one thing and starting something else. Listen to what it says and be ready to tell me what we should stop doing and what we should start doing. (Read 1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”) Jesus died for our sins so we can begin to live a new life. We can start doing right and stop living for the wrong things. Sometimes it’s no easy to stop, just as it was hard to stop quickly in our game. But God gave his greatest gift, His Son Jesus, so we could stop doing wrong and start living a brand-new life.

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Craft Learning Activity: Salvation Bracelets (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need the following supplies: String. red, blue, black, green, yellow, red, and gold beads on leather or plastic strings. Procedure: Have students thread the beads onto the cord in the following order: yellow, black, red, white, blue, and green . Tie a knot on each side of the beads. Tie two sliding adjustable knots on the ends of the cord. Take the first end and knot it around the second end. Take the second end and knot it around the first end. Use the bracelet to review the plan of salvation with your students. (Black for our sin, red for the blood of Jesus, white for purity, blue for baptism, green for growth, and yellow for eternal life or heaven.)

Yellow to represent Heaven Black to represent sin Red to represent blood

Blue to represent baptism White to represent cleansing Green bead to represent growth

Have students read and locate the following verses of scripture in the “Roman Road to Salvation.”

Is being “good” enough to go to heaven? Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10 “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;” Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned–“

Is sin really that big of a deal? Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God [is] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

After what I have done to grieve God, how can He save me? Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

How can I be saved? Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Symbol of Love” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You'll need a Bible, thin flexible wire, scissors, leather cord, Tacky craft glue, two 3-inch-long nails and one 1/2-inch red felt heart for each child Say: “Has someone ever taken the blame or punishment for something that you or someone else did? Did you know that Jesus took the blame for the things we have done? Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life so our sins could be forgiven and we could live as God's friends. In other words, Jesus took the punishment for our sins. Read aloud 2 Corinthians 5:15, then ask: “In what ways was Jesus' death a way to say he loves us?” “How do you feel knowing that Jesus died for you? Jesus died because he loves us and wants us to be God's friends. Jesus died because it was part of God's plan of salvation. And Jesus died so we could be forgiven from the bad things we do and say. I'm so thankful for Jesus' love! Let's make special crosses to remind us that Jesus died for us because he loves us. Procedure: Hand each child two nails, two pieces of wire, a felt heart and a leather cord. Have children help each other hold the nails in a cross shape, then wrap a piece of wire around the nails in a crisscross pattern. Wrap the ends of the second piece of wire several times around the nail head at the top of the "cross" to form a loop. Slip the nail cross on the leather cord, then tie the ends of the cord to make a necklace. Glue the heart to the center of the cross. As children work, point out that the nails remind us of the nails used at the cross where Jesus

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demonstrated his great love for us. Say: “What might have happened if Jesus hadn't loved us? Died for us? How can we thank Jesus for his love?” Say: Let's say a prayer thanking Jesus for his love. Pray: Dear God, thank you for Jesus and your loving plan of forgiveness. We're so thankful Jesus loved us enough to die for us so we can live with you. Amen.”

Craft Learning Activity: Mosaic Cross Preparation: Cut multi-colored tissue paper into 2” squares. You will need a sheet of construction paper, paint brush, glue or starch. Procedure: Have students draw a cross. (Provide a pattern for younger children.) Cut out the cross and use a background base for the mosaic cross. Using a paint brush, have the children "glue" the multi-colored tissue paper squares on a construction paper cross with starch.

Life Application Challenge: “Form that Object” Say: Let’s have fun remembering what we have learned in this lesson. I will call out an object and you will try to form that object with your bodies. You can use a friend or two to help you if you desire.

Form a “nail.” (Child may stand up straight with arms raised point upward.) What did we learn about a nail? Nails were used to hang Jesus on the cross. They were put into his hands and feet.

Form a cross. (Two or more children could stand opposite each other to form crosses with their hands.) What did you learn about a cross? (Jesus died on the cross for our sin.)

Form a tomb. (Two or more children can form the entrance with their hands and another child lie on the floor for the body.) Who was laid in a tomb? (Jesus) What happened three days later? (Jesus rose from the grave.)

Form a heart. (Child can make a heart shape with fingers and/ or arms.) What does a heart have to do with our lesson? (God loved us so much that He sent His son Jesus to die for us. Our hearts are black with sin and we need a Savior. Jesus’ blood cleanses our heart. Our hearts should love God.)

Talk about the meaning of the cross and Easter:

(1) What did the cross mean to the people of Jesus' day? (It was a place where people died. It was a place of great suffering and pain.)

(2) What does the cross mean to you? (It is the place where Jesus died. We use it as a symbol to remember how Jesus paid the price for our sins so we could go to heaven.)

(3) Why is the cross the symbol of Christianity today? (Jesus' death on the cross is the most important part of our faith. Without the cross there would be no hope of us going to heaven.)

(4) What should we do to celebrate Easter? (Easter is more than bunnies and eggs. Easter means salvation. Salvation means Jesus died for our sins, He rose again, and we'll live forever with Him.)

Encourage children to think about asking Jesus to be their Savior. Tell them to talk to their parents or you if they have questions.

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Jesus Died On the Cross for Our Sins

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God

is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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unit 5 passion week--lesson 4 nt5.6 the crucifixion of jesus · after supper jesus washed the...

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